IND vs BAN Pitch Report, 1st Test: Ground conditions, stats, records, toss factor in Chennai ahead of India v Bangladesh

IND vs BAN 1st Test: Here is the pitch report, ground conditions, stats and records ahead of the first Test between India and Bangladesh at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Ground staff prepares the pitch ahead of the first Test match between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. | Photo Credit: AP

India will take on Bangladesh in the first Test of a two-match Test series at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from Thursday.

The contest will mark the start of India’s long upcoming Test season, which also includes a three-match series against New Zealand at home and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

The venue last hosted a Test back in 2021, in which India comfortably beat England by 317 runs on the back of Ravichandran Ashwin’s century and eight-wicket match-haul.

While the team batting first here has historically had a slender advantage, records suggest chasing isn’t too bad an option either. Of late, the team batting first has lost three out of the last five Tests held at Chepauk.

TEST STATS AT M.A. CHIDAMBARAM STADIUM, CHENNAI

Matches played: 34

Team batting first won: 12

Team batting second won: 10

Tied: 1

Drawn: 11

Highest total: India 759/7 dec. vs England - 2016

Lowest total: India 83 all out vs England - 1977

PITCH REPORT

The match will be played on a red-soil pitch, which is not the typical surface the venue usually offers. It is likely to assist the pacers with its good bounce and carry, and the spinners could come into play at a later stage in the match when the pitch breaks under the sun.

Historically, spinners have held the edge over the pacers in Chennai, picking 584 wickets, as compared to 381 taken by the quicks. While the tweakers pick a wicket for every 31.58 runs they concede, the same figure for the pacers stands at 34.12. Similarly, spinners strike every 67.9 balls, while their quicker counterparts pick a wicket every 69.1 balls.

However, in the last two Tests held here in 2021, the pacers had a better average (24.69) than the spinners (27.73) as reverse-swing came into play.

TOSS FACTOR

The side winning the toss hasn’t had an overwhelming advantage here, winning 12 out of the 22 games that have had a result, while the team losing the toss has won 10.

However, interestingly, in 33 out of the 34 Tests held here so far, the team winning the toss had opted to bat first. The only side that won the toss and opted to bowl here was England, back in 1982. That game ended in a draw.